English dictionary
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English adjective: tough | |||
| 1. | tough not given to gentleness or sentimentality | ||
| Samples | A tough character. | ||
| Similar | hard-bitten, hard-boiled, pugnacious, tough-minded, unsentimental | ||
| See also | hard, insensitive | ||
| Antonyms | tender | ||
| 2. | tough very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution | ||
| Samples | A rugged competitive examination. The rugged conditions of frontier life. The competition was tough. It's a tough life. It was a tough job. | ||
| Synonyms | rugged | ||
| Similar | difficult, hard | ||
| Antonyms | easy | ||
| 3. | tough physically toughened | ||
| Samples | The tough bottoms of his feet. | ||
| Synonyms | toughened | ||
| Similar | callous, calloused, enured, hardened, inured, thickened, weather-beaten | ||
| See also | experienced, experient, rugged, strong | ||
| Antonyms | untoughened, tender | ||
| 4. | tough substantially made or constructed | ||
| Samples | Sturdy steel shelves. Sturdy canvas. A tough all-weather fabric. Some plastics are as tough as metal. | ||
| Synonyms | sturdy | ||
| Similar | rugged | ||
| Antonyms | delicate | ||
| 5. | tough violent and lawless | ||
| Samples | The more ruffianly element. Tough street gangs. | ||
| Synonyms | ruffianly | ||
| Similar | violent | ||
| Antonyms | nonviolent | ||
| 6. | tough feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad') | ||
| Samples | My throat feels bad. She felt bad all over. He was feeling tough after a restless night. | ||
| Synonyms | bad | ||
| Similar | uncomfortable | ||
| Domain usage | colloquialism | ||
| Antonyms | comfortable, comfy | ||
| 7. | tough resistant to cutting or chewing | ||
| Similar | cartilaginous, chewy, coriaceous, fibrous, fibrous, gristly, hempen, leathered, leatherlike, leathery, rubbery, sinewy, stringy, tough-skinned, unchewable | ||
| See also | inedible, uneatable | ||
| Antonyms | tender | ||
| 8. | tough unfortunate or hard to bear | ||
| Samples | Had hard luck. A tough break. | ||
| Synonyms | hard | ||
| Similar | bad | ||
| Antonyms | good | ||
| 9. | tough making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe | ||
| Samples | A baffling problem. I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast. A problematic situation at home. | ||
| Synonyms | baffling, elusive, knotty, problematic, problematical | ||
| Similar | difficult, hard | ||
| Antonyms | easy | ||
English noun: tough | |||
| 1. | tough (person) someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing | ||
| Synonyms | street fighter | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | battler, belligerent, combatant, fighter, scrapper | ||
| 2. | tough (person) an aggressive and violent young criminal | ||
| Synonyms | goon, hood, hoodlum, punk, strong-armer, thug, toughie | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | criminal, crook, felon, malefactor, outlaw | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | bully | ||
| 3. | tough (person) a cruel and brutal fellow | ||
| Synonyms | bully, hooligan, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, yob, yobbo, yobo | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | aggressor, assailant, assaulter, attacker | ||
| Narrower (hyponym) | bullyboy, muscle, muscleman, plug-ugly, skinhead, tough guy | ||
Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
Web design: Orcapia v/Per Bang. English edition: .
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Web design: Orcapia v/Per Bang. English edition: .
2025 onlineordbog.dk